


stay

by Nyxierose



Category: Timeless (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Post-Canon, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-02-04 08:56:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18601231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nyxierose/pseuds/Nyxierose
Summary: "You are here with me and you have made it absolutely clear, at every possible opportunity, that you will keep me safe. And this right now is not who you are."





	stay

She decides to stay because it's two in the morning and the stairs make too much noise. At least, this is the reason Lucy will give if anyone outside of this room ever has _any_ idea about her current set of choices, which she hopes they will not. She is allowed some vague version of a private life, she hopes, and the whole situation is not at all what it looks like or what certain people have assumed it to be.

It is innocent. All she did was seek a little companionship with someone who, despite everything, lets her into his spaces. No manipulation or ulterior motives, no acting on tension, just two haunted people wanting to feel a little less alone. Not at all what it looks like, but it still looks better if she stays.

(-)

This isn't the first time either. As much as she hates to put it like that, she's been hiding in Flynn's room on a fairly regular basis since they were moved to the current safehouse. This one was actually designed for longterm human occupation, a little more spacious and several more levels to the living area, and her partner - can she call him that, in the most innocent and platonic way? - exiled himself to the out-of-the-way attic room before anyone else figured out their respective spaces. Lucy suspects that was yet another act of subconscious masochism or sacrificial tendencies or most likely an unholy midpoint - the ceiling is a little too low, it's colder than the rest of the house, and there's a half-assed attempt at a skylight that requires repair on a level none of the team can figure out. Perhaps _not_ fit for human occupation, but someone had to claim it and…

She ends up there most nights, at least for a while, because talking to him is about the only good thing in her life right now and because it's easier to avoid certain other problems if she does not see them. She is the only other person who goes up there - she does not have confirmation of this, has not watched anyone else's habits closely enough to prove it, but she knows she is. Group dynamics are steadily improving, but Flynn is still the designated outsider and she suspects he feels it more than he lets on.

She sees things, and she tries to distract and help as she can, and usually she wanders back downstairs at a more sensible hour but tonight they ended up having a long rambling conversation about childhood injuries because she asked about one of his scars and it spiraled from there, and now it is two in the morning and she absolutely does not want to leave.

She feels something in the air - not just the changing dynamic between them, the inevitability being made clearer every day, but something outside. The first warnings of a long night, the worst storm this part of wherever-the-hell has seen in a decade. And that too means she cannot leave. She has watched him closely this last year, seen with her own eyes that all the clichés about career soldiers and loud noises are true. Perhaps, she thinks, it will be a little less painful if he is not alone.

"Is it okay if I stay?" she asks, because there is a plan evolving in her mind and she wants full permission for every step.

He nods. They're in their usual places right now, him in the chair and her on the bed. On other nights she's decided to stay, they've maintained their perfect distance like this. She suspects he doesn't actually sleep when she's around, protective instincts too high, but she can justify it tonight, she can-

"Could you… could you come over here?"

"What do you want?" He sounds scared, but more for her than himself, and it breaks her heart a little, and-

"It's cold and you're warm. And I would like… I want you."

She realizes as soon as she's said it that she could've done it differently, said something that sounds a little less like she's propositioning him - which she is decidedly _not_ , thank you very much - but she's made herself clear enough and he crosses the space without further hesitation.

"This might be awkward," he murmurs.

"I trust you won't hurt me."

Lucy gets to her feet and motions to the mattress behind her. The way she sees it, it'll be easiest if he gets in some kind of comfortable position - to the extent that he _can_ , in a space that is definitely not designed to accommodate a person his size - and she gets roughly on top of him. Which, yeah, has a chance of being awkward. But she's not particularly concerned about him doing anything, and her own impulse control is improving, and-

"You're really gonna sleep in all of that?" she asks, giving him a Look.

Flynn has not made any effort to make himself comfortable. Not only is he still wearing several layers of shirts, which seems like overkill, but he's also still in his damn shoes. Not at all normal, and she's concerned about how much is for her benefit and how much is just neurotic bullshit, and-

"Trying to make things less awkward."

"Don't. Pretend I'm not here. I know… I know not to ask questions about things."

He gives her that kicked-puppy look she hates so much, but again complies and does what she wants. Shoes kicked off, layers shed. She is not about to tell him when to stop, but she's still a little surprised when he takes off his undershirt as well. This is… okay, this is a lot.

She's looking. She is definitely looking, taking note of scars and also just appreciating the view. She is not about to _do_ anything, but she has made her peace with her attraction to him. Someday, perhaps, she will act on it. Right now, she's imprinting as much of this as she can into the core parts of her brain.

"Are you alright?"

His hand on her shoulder, steadying her before she knows she needs that.

"Yeah. Fine. You… yeah."

She turns away for a moment, gives him space to figure out position again while she figures out her own clothing situation. Leggings are cute but unnecessary so off they go, and she's short enough that this shirt she's got on covers _enough_ and she figures she'll be fine. To the extent that it is possible to be fine while curling up around someone she has a lot of very complicated feelings about. She will be _fine_.

She walks over and turns off the light, and from there it is far too easy to take what little space there is on the mattress, just slightly draping her body over his. It feels, and she hates herself for thinking this, like the best thing she's ever done.

"Why are you doing this, Lucy?"

She feels his voice more than hears it, and yeah, the other kind of awkward is an absolute possibility.

"If I were to go downstairs right now, I would wake people up," she murmurs. "It's easier if I stay."

"I meant more…"

"I want to. I'm touch-starved and you're safe. Is that enough?"

He makes a noise that sounds a lot like no it is not, but he does not question her judgment any further. "You are safe. Try to rest."

She does.

* * *

 

She wakes up to her body in motion and the sound of a falling tree in the background, hopefully not _too_ close to their current location. For a moment, Lucy is very scared, but she quickly processes everything. She was right about the storm and equally right about her partner's reaction to it, and her current physical state of being makes perfect sense.

A more normal person would probably react to being pinned against a wall, with their partner's body covering theirs, a little more dramatically. Lucy just sighs and accepts that she did in fact sign up for this, and she is able to breathe just fine so there's no point in making an issue out of what is probably just a subconscious reaction.

Again, this is not a completely new experience. Perhaps a little more sudden and complicated than before, but similar enough things have happened on missions. Flynn is strong and protective in equal measures, and quick reflexes on top of that mean he's pulled her out of bad situations a couple of times for various reasons. She trusts him enough, and-

Lightning illuminates the room as his eyes open, as he processes what he has apparently done without knowing. She watches and feels his panic, though he makes no move to separate himself from her. His arm around her back pulls her closer, and she does not know how to calm him, she does not-

"I cannot keep you safe enough," he murmurs, sounding like he is probably about to cry.

She signed up for this, she tells herself as she wraps her arms around him. She has made space in her life for this man, she is well aware of his scars and chose to want him anyways. At times the protectiveness feels like overkill, but right now it makes total sense to her. The world outside sounds like a threat, and she is what he cares about most, and-

"I'm not bothered by it," she replies. If anything, this confirms her feelings - not that she will _ever_ say that out loud, but-

"I panicked. And I did something without warning."

"You did something without _knowing_ ," and again her heart breaks, and-

"What if that were something real? What if I am not enough?"

"Shhh. You've taken… how many injuries for me?" She really can't remember, it's too late or maybe too early for this.

"Two bullets, stabbed once… are we counting the minor ones?"

"Enough," she murmurs. "You are enough." She wants to kiss him right now but knows that won't help, knows that will only add more layers to their current set of problems. And these are _their_ problems, she decides - she will face everything alongside him, this man she loves, she will-

"How can you be so sure?"

God, she is not awake enough for this conversation, but it's happening regardless of whether she wants it so might as well embrace the chaos.

"I stayed tonight," she starts, because that elephant needs a little eye contact before she says something stupid about feelings. "Because I knew this would happen. Because I remember that incident with the fireworks and… I didn't want you to deal with that alone."

"You don't need to sacrifice yourself for me."

Well _that_ is just… oh, she's wanted to yell that line at him a couple times recently, in much more deserving situations, and now she can't. Dammit.

"Exactly none of this is a sacrifice," she hisses. "I am _here_. I am safely in bed with someone I love, and you're hovering over me without squishing me and I'm kinda impressed, and I trust you to protect me. Whatever happens. I love you and I trust you."

And okay, that was not how she planned to admit she actually has feelings for him, but she went for it and now she gets the consequences. And oh, there are consequences.

He's shellshocked for a few moments, and then he breaks. Silent falling apart, and their bodies shift again and they lie side by side and she wraps herself around him because she is not sure what to say.

Touch-starved, she'd said earlier. It hits her now how much that goes both ways, exactly how long it has been since the last time this man was safely entwined with another person. And he has _had_ that - a good life, before it was taken away - and has a baseline for how that ought to be.

Lucy, on the other hand, is figuring this out as she goes and hoping she doesn't screw up too catastrophically. And not really sure, at this point, how to ask.

"I love you and I trust you," she repeats, willing that to be enough.

"Why?"

Four in the morning is really not the ideal time for this conversation, she thinks again, but she's opened that box so she might as well see what all comes out before she crashes.

"Because you see me. Because even back when I was wrong, you were able to be annoyed and in awe of me at the same time. Because I have known from the moment I saw you that you are incapable of hurting me. Because your first instinct a couple minutes ago, when lightning struck a fucking tree out there, was to make sure I was as safe as possible. Do you realize how much that means to me, Garcia Flynn? Do you _realize_ that's all I've ever wanted from another person?"

He is still shaking, still in panic. "I am useless to you right now, Lucy."

"No. Wrong. You are here with me and you have made it absolutely clear, at every possible opportunity, that you will keep me safe. And this right now is not who you are."

"I am not-"

"Can you please shut up and let me say nice things about you? I don't _care_ about how useful you are at a given moment. That's not… that's not what matters to me. It's nice but it's not everything. What matters to me is you're kind and you have done everything possible to keep me out of harm and I don't… I don't have to question that. I know where your heart is."

"I do not deserve you," he breathes.

"You're not a monster or whatever the hell you think you are right now. You're a good man, and you're mine, however you want to be."

She expects some dramatic self-deprecating comment, because he does have a certain talent for those, but instead he shifts closer and presses a gentle kiss to the curve of her neck. Likely the easiest part of her skin to reach in their current positions, but it sends a shiver through her entire body. It's a matter of time now, days instead of months, before the inevitable collision she has braced for since their paths crossed. Not right now, no, but soon.

"Was that alright?" he asks, because of course he does.

"Yes. I don't… this is bad timing, but… yes."

"Understood."

"You're in a bad place and I think I'm in shock. And I know I've used people before, and…"

"I trust you too."

"In the morning. Maybe."

"I would like that."

The worst of the storm has passed. It's been a few minutes since she's heard anything particularly loud, and she suspects her hearing is probably better than his. And it is still late, and she is still tired, and-

"Try to sleep," she murmurs, closing her eyes.

She doubts he will. She is amazed as her own mind drifts, her last thoughts as she slips into subconsciousness being…

* * *

 

The next time she wakes up, light is shining through the skylight and her body is exactly where she expects it to be. A little more entwined with her partner than she expects, perhaps, but comfortably so. She could get used to all of this so easily, and she wants to, and-

"You're still here," he breathes.

"Yeah. Still here."

She kisses him because she can, because she's wanted to for years and neither of them really _has_ to do anything just yet. If the alarm goes off, plans will obviously change, but otherwise…

"You were right."

"Oh?"

"Having you here… did make things better."

"Good."

She thinks, as he kisses her and she feels made whole, that she would like to stay.


End file.
